Saturday, February 1, 2014

Study: Liberals Drink More Alcohol Than Conservatives

A recent study published in the Journal of Wine Economics found that "liberal ideology has a statistically significant positive
association with the consumption of alcohol in the United States even after
controlling for economic, demographic, and geographic differences across states."

The study revealed that as states become more liberal over
time, they experience higher consumption of beer and spirits per capita - but consume less wine.

Researchers say that the findings are similar to previous studies showing
that people with more socialist views tend to engage in more unhealthy behaviors
such as excessive drinking.

"This sociological argument is
similar to the theory of moral hazard in economics, which postulates that people
may behave irresponsibly when they do not fully bear the cost of their behavior," the study concludes. "This moral hazard argument might be responsible for some of our
findings,
considering that more liberal states tend to advocate for a stronger role for
government in health care and social welfare."